For years, it’s seemed like Taysom Hill would be the perfect fit to join his former head coach, Sean Payton, on the Denver Broncos.
The opportunity is finally here.
Hill announced on Wednesday that he wouldn’t be returning to the New Orleans Saints for a 10th season, opening the door to the quarterback/running back/wide receiver/tight end dubbed the “Human Swiss Army Knife” to re-team with Payton, who coached him on the Saints from 21017 to 2021.
In 2025, Hill became the 1st player in the Super Bowl era with 1,000 career rushing, passing, and receiving yards.
“Taysom Hill won’t be returning to the New Orleans Saints for a 10th season, he confirmed in a statement posted to social media Wednesday night,” ESPN’s Katherine Terrell wrote. “Hill did not say whether he intended to retire, leaving the door open to playing elsewhere this season.”
Through 9 seasons — all with the Saints — Hill has approximately $62.9 million in career earnings but would likely be available for a steal in 2026. Were the Broncos to make a move, it might look like a 1-year, $3 million offer worth up to $5 million with incentives.
The idea of Hill with the Broncos and back in Payton’s offense already had fans buzzing — for both good and bad.
“Dear Fantasy Gods, please don’t let Taysom Hill turn up at Broncos camp,” Draft Buddy’s Mike MacGregor wrote on his official X account on Thursday.
“We already know Taysom Hill going to the Broncos,” Saints fan Jay Coleman wrote on X on Thursday.
Hill to Broncos Trade Rumors Rampant for Years
Essentially from the moment the Broncos hired Payton following the 2022 season, there have been rumors that he would eventually re-team with Hill.
It’s the reunion everyone wants — the grizzled old head coach and his former charge, back together, on a contender, with 1 last shot to win it all.
The Broncos are coming off a 14-3 regular season that ended with a home loss to the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship Game.
ESPN’s Bill Barnwell thought it was a real possibility for the Broncos to land Hill at the 2025 NFL trade deadline, suggesting he could have been had in exchange for a 2028 6th-round pick.
“Let’s reunite Hill with his biggest fan,” Barnwell wrote in October 2025. “Sean Payton’s Broncos have plenty of playmakers, but they could always stand to add another threat on short yardage and in the red zone. Evan Engram has been a disappointment so far (137 yards), and though the Broncos have occasionally gotten Adam Trautman and Nate Adkins involved in the passing game, there’s nobody in the league quite like Hill.”
Taysom Hill Back Playing After Torn ACL in 2024
Hill missed the last 9 games of 2024 with a torn ACL in his left knee but returned for a Week 5 win over the New York Giants in his 2025 debut — the only win for the Saints so far this season — and scored a rushing touchdown in a Week 6 loss to the New England Patriots.
Hill was in the final season of the 4-year, $40 million contract he signed with the Saints in November 2021 — Payton’s final season in New Orleans.
“I’ll just say this — Broncos could’ve traded for him any of the 3+ seasons (Payton) has been here,” Broncos fan Shane Byrne wrote on X. “They didn’t. Taysom Hill has been a free agent this entire offseason. Broncos could’ve signed him anytime between March and now. They didn’t. If Broncos wanted him, they’d have him.”
Like HEAVY’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on HEAVY
The post Broncos Finally Have Chance to Sign $63 Million ‘Swiss Army Knife’ appeared first on HEAVY.